Is there any word on the new DAC card that is supposed to be in the works and released close to the HDMI upgrade time?

Am I reading correctly - the Gen 8 V2 cannot play 192Khz audio? I thought the specs on the Theta site claims that it does?

Cheers,
Ken

There is no new DAC card for the CB3 HD in the works as far as anyone from Theta has ever stated publicly. You are ocnfused.

The Gen VIII V2 DACs are 192-24, but its receiver chip can only handle
96=24. Hopefully someday Theta will have an upgrade of this receiver chip, so that the Gen VIII can do 176-24 and 192-24.

https://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show....php?t=1158431 No dealer is authorized to tell you I refer to them - any referrals I make will be done personally by me. Over the years I have found certain dealer(s) who I cannot recommend for good reason.! 9.4.13 Trinnov Altitude 32 Theatre renovation/upgrade starts end of July 2019!

As for the new, high rez DAC card, I read that on the Theta website, under the FAQ section. Got to A2 for the Casablanca 3.

"A2: The team is also working on an all-balanced higher resolution Digital Output card for the Casablanca III that will likely be released once the HDMI option is available. Final pricing of that new Digital Output card has not even been estimated yet, since it's still in the midst of development. "

Roger, you knew best. I just tested the Aix HD Sampler Disc and using the Two Channel 96/24 selection on the disc played on my Marantz UD-9004, and routing it to my PSA Perfect Wave DAC the SPDIF PCM Stream is down sampled to 48 kHz, and I wouldn't doubt that it's at a bit depth of 16, although I have no way to verify that. I also have no way to test the HDMI Output until my CB HD is returned.
Perhaps other players will pass the 96/24 PCM over SPDIF. I will try to get ahold of an Oppo this week to see. I have one coming in for a customer on Wed. The plot thickens. Norm

Ken, Theta simply has not updated that Q & A part of their website. There is no NEW digital out card for the CB3 HD. there is no new DAC card for the CB3 HD either. FINISH!

https://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show....php?t=1158431 No dealer is authorized to tell you I refer to them - any referrals I make will be done personally by me. Over the years I have found certain dealer(s) who I cannot recommend for good reason.! 9.4.13 Trinnov Altitude 32 Theatre renovation/upgrade starts end of July 2019!

More on my Theta Generation VIII Series 2 DAC and comparison to analog XLR out of my Marantz UD9004:

2-7-2011

I connected the Marantz via digital coaxial to the PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC (PWD), as the latter set to Native tells you the incoming audio resolution rate. What I found that is the if the resolution is higher than 48-24 (96-24 & 192-24) for DVD-Audio or Blu Ray music discs, or if I play a Blu Ray movie with the Marantz set to downmix to two channel PCM, that the audio resolution shown by the PWD is 48-24.

So when I've told you that the sonics of a DVD-Audio disc, or a Blu Ray music disc, are the same via coaxial digital (downsampled we know now by Marantz to 48-24 despite the higher resolution on the disc) vs stereo analog XLR out from the Marantz, I am in effect telling you that the Gen VIII Series 2 DAC sounds as good on 48-24 as the Marantz sounds full resolution (96-24 or 192-24 in some cases) XLR stereo analog out.

But lets go another step, too. The Gen VIII Series 2 manual warns you to burn in 100 hours so the Gen VIII sounds like it should. But I have a used unit well burnt in you would think.I had watched some HDTV shows, with my DirecTV HD DVR set to downsample Dolby Digital 5.1 to PCM 2.0. I found DirecTV, connected to the Gen 8 via toslink, generally weak sounding, but better than nothing until I get my CB3 HD upgraded unit back. I wrote this off to the downsampling to PCM 2.0. Funny thing though is last night, once Super Bowl over, I watched a show and started thinking how much better it sounded for DirecTV, that it was sounding quite nice. And tonight, I watched a few HDTV shows, and it sounded awful good in two channel, with the front end sounding better than I remember, though I could tell that I was missing my subs and surrounds. Turns out that by Sunday night I had the Gen 8 on for - - - about 100 hours, either in use or on standby. I guess that everytime the Gen 8 is off for a good period of time, it requires that burn-in to sound like it should!

So I am playing that Emmylou Harris DVD-Audio disc, switching between coaxial digital(48-24) and XLR stereo analog (96-24), and yea the coaxial digital (Gen 8 DACs) is sounding already a bit better than the analog. WOW!

So the Gen VIII Series 2 is starting to sound like a real keeper.

Also, I will keep the PSD for awhile. So when I get the CB3 HD, I will be able to hook up from the digital out card into the PWD so I can measure the audio resolution. HA!

https://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show....php?t=1158431 No dealer is authorized to tell you I refer to them - any referrals I make will be done personally by me. Over the years I have found certain dealer(s) who I cannot recommend for good reason.! 9.4.13 Trinnov Altitude 32 Theatre renovation/upgrade starts end of July 2019!

Roger, you knew best. I just tested the Aix HD Sampler Disc and using the Two Channel 96/24 selection on the disc played on my Marantz UD-9004, and routing it to my PSA Perfect Wave DAC the SPDIF PCM Stream is down sampled to 48 kHz, and I wouldn't doubt that it's at a bit depth of 16, although I have no way to verify that. I also have no way to test the HDMI Output until my CB HD is returned.
Perhaps other players will pass the 96/24 PCM over SPDIF. I will try to get ahold of an Oppo this week to see. I have one coming in for a customer on Wed. The plot thickens.

Norm, the player I tested was the Oppo BDP-83, and it behaved same as you described.

BTW, for any of you who have devices that read PCM formats, while they may indeed report 24 bits, there is actually no assurance that there is 24-bit data in that signal. It may be a 24-bit path delivering 16-bit data, with the bottom LSBs padded zeros. Since there is no bitrate penalty in these interfaces, it makes sense to run them at 24 bit all the time regardless of the payload.

Not sure i understand what you guys are trying to do : how many Gen 8 are you going to use?

I thought also that both hi-rez audio and video were protected by hdcp. Beside your earing habilities, It will be difficult to be sure at 100% that hi-rez will play played thru the gen 8

I am know among my friends for always having a plan B. Plan B is a modified Oppo player sending high-rez PCM via SPDIF and the rest of the channels to the CBIII-HD via HDMI. Both the CBIII-HD and the Gen VIII use the same Motorola DSP and the Casablanca would be controlling volume in both units so I know volume would match. The question then would be whether the data sent via SPDIF and HDMI would sync, any time delay for audio sent via the two different interfaces.

So if I understand this correctly, if one wanted to add digital room correction for say 7.1 then 4 digital output cards would be required, would that be correct?

Yes but do not know how feasible that would be. You would need 4 Gen VIIIs. Basically you would be bypassing all of the dacs in the Casablanca. If you are using the digital out if the Casablanca, the just it's card would do.

So if I understand this correctly, if one wanted to add digital room correction for say 7.1 then 4 digital output cards would be required, would that be correct?

While you might still want to use 4 Gen. VIIIs, you'd still really only need the one Digi-out card cause it does support 12 channels.

Everyone assumes the Digi-out card is for just two channels because we only talk about the single two channel AES/EBU connection, when in reality it also has 6 more two channel Digital Coax connections.

I don't know how effective it would be to use some room correction for just the front two channels, while continuing to use your Extreme DACs for the rest of your set-up, but that should certainly be a option, or at least a possibility.

] I am in effect telling you that the Gen VIII Series 2 DAC sounds as good on 48-24 as the Marantz sounds full resolution (96-24 or 192-24 in some cases) XLR stereo analog out.

I would not be surprise if the Gen VIII sounds better running 48/16 than the Casablanca running 48/24. Sampling rate is not the only factor. Remember your first Sony SACD player vs the Granite Audio CD player?

I would not be surprise if the Gen VIII sounds better running 48/16 than the Casablanca running 48/24. Sampling rate is not the only factor. Remember your first Sony SACD player vs the Granite Audio CD player?

Darn. You have a great memory!

https://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show....php?t=1158431 No dealer is authorized to tell you I refer to them - any referrals I make will be done personally by me. Over the years I have found certain dealer(s) who I cannot recommend for good reason.! 9.4.13 Trinnov Altitude 32 Theatre renovation/upgrade starts end of July 2019!

Steve, you may find you don't need the PWT in light of your new purchase, but I wouldn't want to be without my PWD & Bridge. Other than Vinyl and DSD, it's the only way I listen to music. If you were to get rid of them you would certainly need to get a Qsonix or Sooloos so you can stream your music without getting up to change Silver Discs. Norm

Yes but do not know how feasible that would be. You would need 4 Gen VIIIs. Basically you would be bypassing all of the dacs in the Casablanca. If you are using the digital out if the Casablanca, the just it's card would do.

So no digital back in, I thought early on it was thought the digital output card could allow for digital room correction and use of the CB3HD dacs I guess I misunderstood

Montebello, CA , February 1, 2011 - The most widely acclaimed manufacturer of high-end audio components, Theta Digital, has begun shipments of its updated flagship preamp processor, the Casablanca III HD. Originally introduced over 15 years ago, the Casablanca series has undergone continuous development designed to maintain it at the forefront of the audiophile world. In its latest iteration, the Casablanca III HD adds four HDMI 1.4 inputs and decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio to the Casablanca III platform.

Depending on the user-selected configuration, pricing for the Casablanca III HD with eight channels of Digital to Analog conversion starts at $14,995.00 USD and can run to well over $20,000.00 USD when configured for twelve channel output using Theta Digital's top-of-the-line Xtreme D-2 digital to analog converters.

Theta Digital also announced two new programs designed to allow owners of previous generations of the Casablanca preamp / processor to keep their components up-to-date.

The first program adds three new circuit boards, a new power supply and new operating system to the existing Casablanca III and brings it fully to Casablanca III HD status. MSRP for the HD upgrade is $4,995.00 USD.

The second program offers owners of the Casablanca I or II (previous generations of the Theta Digital preamp/processor) a trade-in allowance of up to $5,000.00 USD applied to the purchase of the new Casablanca III HD.

According to Jeff Hipps, Theta Digital's head of sales and marketing, "the trade in program continues our commitment to protect the value of the Theta owner's investment while keeping his components at the edge of the art."

Users seeking more details on the new model, the upgrade program or the trade-in program should consult with their Theta Digital dealer or international representative.

I haven´t been able to find any other information about this card on Theta´s web site. If you go to the CBIII configuration it is not a choice there either. Leaves me kind of wondering when - or if - this will be available.

I haven´t been able to find any other information about this card on Theta´s web site. If you go to the CBIII configuration it is not a choice there either. Leaves me kind of wondering when - or if - this will be available.

One of the threads that was deleted discussed this. That card has been abandoned because the old one works fine. Actually the old one,IMO, works better because it offers digital outs for all 12 channels.

I guess that if I had waited for Theta's announcement, I would have missed out on the half-price DAC sale.

The discounted prices are confirmed by Theta to my local dealer. But I agree, I haven´t exactly seen a marketing campaign about this...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bulldogger

One of the threads that was deleted discussed this. That card has been abandoned because the old one works fine. Actually the old one,IMO, works better because it offers digital outs for all 12 channels.

Sometimes hard to know what is fact and what is only speculation when it comes to things like this and discussed in a forum. What actually is confirmed by Theta is different. Anyway, if you are right, they should not have the card displayed on their web site. It is misleading.

The discounted prices are confirmed by Theta to my local dealer. But I agree, I haven´t exactly seen a marketing campaign about this...

Sometimes hard to know what is fact and what is only speculation when it comes to things like this and discussed in a forum. What actually is confirmed by Theta is different. Anyway, if you are right, they should not have the card displayed on their web site. It is misleading.

Theta is a small boutique operation, part of a much larger operation of its parent company, ATI. Theta's been working hard to get us the CB3 HD and simply hasn't got around to revising the website again.

https://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show....php?t=1158431 No dealer is authorized to tell you I refer to them - any referrals I make will be done personally by me. Over the years I have found certain dealer(s) who I cannot recommend for good reason.! 9.4.13 Trinnov Altitude 32 Theatre renovation/upgrade starts end of July 2019!

Theta is a small boutique operation, part of a much larger operation of its parent company, ATI. Theta's been working hard to get us the CB3 HD and simply hasn't got around to revising the website again.

Is there a PDF version of the CB3HD manual yet? It would be great to read it before mine arrives.

Is there a PDF version of the CB3HD manual yet? It would be great to read it before mine arrives.

My understanding from Theta is that the current CB III Manual will still be valid. There will be a CB HD Adendum issued for the HDMI version and its OS. One example of a change in usage is that each Input Button 1-6 & 7-12 (Page 2) will have only three Source Jacks available using the A-D Button instead of the previous six. I don't think this will be a major issue as one will still have the option of up to 36 different inputs. Norm